


Tell Me I'm Pretty

by Luces



Category: South Park
Genre: Body Image, Body Shaming, Bullying, Clyde is sweet, F/M, First Love, teen dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 06:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20371915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luces/pseuds/Luces
Summary: Clyde pushed away a piece of her hair from her eyes with his thumb, letting his hand linger gently on her face. "Even the most confident people have off days. I do all the time. But you get back up when you fall. Not everyone can do that."Bebe looked back at him to find him staring deep into her brown eyes. "And I know it might not mean that much, but to me, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."A sort of prequel one-shot companion to my Clenny fic, Dumb BoysWritten for Clyde Week, Day 4: Ships





	Tell Me I'm Pretty

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Clyde Week, Day 4: Ships
> 
> (Find more content @clydeweekis-canon on tumblr)

Bebe walked down the halls of Park County High like she was walking down a runway in Milan. No matter what day it was or where she was going, there was always an opportunity to impress. Her hair was made of spun gold. Her face was beaten for the gods. Her clothes were more expensive than yours and she had impeccable taste and a knack for knowing what would look good on her curvy body. She was the supermodel of Park County High and everyone knew it.

She had started dating one of the hot young stars on the football team only a few months prior. Clyde Donovan, to be precise. As a prime member of the cheerleading squad, it was only inevitable that she would eventually be dating one of the players. It was high school tradition.

Bebe honestly could have ended up with any of the players, but she chose Clyde for some very specific reasons. One, he was a little awkward and desperate to please others. Two, he wasn't all that bright. Finally, and most importantly, his father owned a shoe store. A shoe store where Bebe could get discounts, or better yet, free shoes on Clyde's dime. It was a perfect match.

She wasn't all that into him, truthfully. He was okay, just not really what she wanted out of a boyfriend. Bebe was looking for the total package. A man who had the looks, the brains, the brawn, and the cash money to treat her like the queen she was. Like...Tony Stark, or T'Challa. Sure, they were fictional older men who she could never realistically be with, but hashtag relationships goals were still hashtag relationship goals.

Clyde, on the other hand, wasn't hashtag relationship goals. He was cute enough to make for decent arm candy, and she did like how she looked on his arm as well. He did try really hard, the poor thing. It was nice, but it wasn't up to Bebe's high standards. It would have to do for now, however, as she wasn't going to be able to find her dream man until she was out of high school and over eighteen.

Bebe's two inch heel knee high boots stomped down the hallway, echoing against the lockers, until she finally stopped in front of her own. She was busy entering her locker combo when she felt two hands slide across her hips and squeeze gently.

"Hey babe," Clyde said softly, his face buried in her thick curls.

"Hey," Bebe replied.

Her voice was uninterested in whatever Clyde was trying to do. She really needed to pee before her next class, so she didn't have a lot of time to deal with his attempts at PDA. As much as she loved making out with him by her locker to show off her prize, right now wasn't a good idea.

"I was thinking about you all day, especially during Biology."

"Oh yeah?" Bebe stalled, quickly switching out her books while he talked.

"Hell yeah. We're doing botany for the next few weeks, so it was an intro to that. We were talking about stamens, and anthers, and germinating the pollen tubes. It was kinda hot."

Bebe spun around with an incredulous look on her face. "What?! Why the hell did that make you think of me? You're so weird, Clyde."

She threw her bag over her shoulder and gently removed his hands from her hips. "I have to go to the bathroom before I head to French."

"We're still on for tonight, right? I'm excited to try out that new restaurant, and then if you want, we can go look at the new shipment of shoes that just came in."

"Yeah, we're still on," she said flatly as she turned around and began to walk away.

"I love you!" he called out.

Bebe simply held her hand up and said "thank you" without turning around. Clyde barely heard her.

The bathroom was empty when Bebe entered it. She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. Hair was still on point. Eyes still flawless. Her lips could use a touch up, though—after she emptied her bladder.

She turned the lock and lifted up her skirt, pulling down her fishnet tights to her ankles. She winced at how cold the seat was. She knew heated toilet seats wouldn't be something the town would want to pay for, but maybe they could at least install a heater in the bathrooms.

She decided to snatch her phone from her purse while she was seated. One quick look at Instagram couldn't hurt, right? She had posted a #Iwasbornlikethis selfie at the bus stop that morning and she wanted to see if anyone had left any comments.

Hmm. None so far. That's okay, though. Most of her followers were still in school.

The door to the bathroom flew open. The sound of girly laughter and loud voices filled the empty space.

"Seriously though! Did you see her Instagram feed this morning? I mean, fuck! Talk about trying too hard!"

"I was born like this, my ass. No one was born with make-up that's half an inch thick, bitch. You weren't born like that, you spent two hours doing your make-up this morning and you still look like shit."

A third girl giggled right beside Bebe. She heard the door latch on the stall to her left and peeked down to see a pair of black platform Mary Janes.

"It's not just her make-up. Her hair looks like a rat's nest. Like please, Bebe, have you never heard of straightener before?"

"Hey, how many hair brushes do you think she's lost in there?" Copious amounts of giggling followed.

"The truth is that she's just a fat ugly chick who hides behind expensive clothes and whore level amounts of make-up to trick others into thinking she's hot. It's pathetic, and people are starting to notice."

"You think? I mean, that football guy is dating her, right? Clyde? He's pretty hot."

Bebe slid her phone back into her purse, cleaned herself, then stood up to rearrange her clothes. She flushed the toilet and waited a beat.

"Please, Clyde is either a fucking idiot or he's using her to try to boost his own image."

Bebe unlocked the stall and pushed the door open on cue, like in a teen movie. The girls fell silent. She approached the sinks, standing right between two of the girls who had been shit talking about her. She pulled her lipstick out of her purse, leaned forward toward the mirror, and applied a fresh coat.

The girls exchanged glances. Bebe could see out of her peripheral that they were silently mouthing something to each other. It was no bother. She was choosing to ignore then rather than talk back. She felt it was a more powerful statement to act like they weren't there than throw shade. Besides, they weren't worth her time anyway.

The cap to her lipstick clicked in place. She slipped it back into her purse as she pressed her lips together, inspecting her work. Bebe stood up straight and swept a hand through her hair. She held her head up high and walked toward the bathroom door with an air of confidence, not bothering to look behind her when she heard the loud whispering and muffled laughter behind her.

* * *

Bebe hopped out of the running Sedan and waved to Red and Annie in the backseat. Red's mom was always cool about giving rides home after cheerleading practice. Still, Bebe couldn't wait until she was able to start driver's ed. She had her learner's permit, but her parents and her agreed to wait till after the fall. It was already stressful balancing school and cheering, let alone driver's education. Red's mom slowly backed out of the driveway and Bebe headed inside.

She ran upstairs to her room and picked out a dress for her date with Clyde. It wasn't the most amazing dress she owned, but it was good enough for him. She laid it out on her bed, placing matching heels on the floor next to it.

She turned toward her bathroom. A shower. A shower would do her good. She wanted to look her best when she went out with Clyde, cause you never know who might spot her. She stepped inside, turned on the hot water, and let it cascade down her skin. She scrubbed her face with her favorite make-up remover. She wanted to make sure that her nighttime look was flawless, and that started with a soft, clean canvas.

When she was finished with the rest of the shower, she stepped out onto the floor and toweled off her body, wrapping a second towel around her thick hair. She exited the bathroom back into her bedroom and stopped in front of the full body mirror hung on the wall.

Bebe stared at herself. Stared at her body, naked and vulnerable. She focused on every detail, no matter how minor. Her breasts sagged under their own weight. They weren't the same size, either. She had some cellulite on her hips, thighs, and ass—hips, thighs, and ass that deep down, she wished weren't so thick. She ran her hand across her stomach, feeling the lines of the stretch marks that covered it.

Bebe let out a staggered breath. Maybe those girls were right.

She weakly smiled at herself. Nah, they were wrong. They were just jelly.

Bebe began to get dressed for her date with Clyde. When she pulled on a fresh pair of tights, they seemed more difficult than the last time she'd worn them. Maybe it was just her imagination. Once she was all set in her undergarments, she removed the towel from her hair and draped it around her shoulders, before taking a seat at her make-up table.

Sitting face to face with herself, doubts began to creep back into Bebe's mind. The words she heard in the bathroom were front and center. She looked at her plain, bare face. _Were_ they right? Was she really so ugly that she felt she needed to wear heavy make-up to hide? To trick people into thinking she was something she was not?

She picked up a lock of her hair. She hated her hair for so long. Growing up, she wished that she could be one of the girls with the straight, flat hair. The girls who didn't literally break hair brushes because their hair was too thick and curly. Should she try straightening it? Or relaxing it? What would she look like with straight hair? Maybe…

Bebe took a deep breath. She was wasting time. Clyde would be here any minute, and she hadn't even begun to put on her foundation. No one was allowed to see what she looked like underneath the glamour. No one was allowed to see her exposed. No one could see her like this, not even him.

* * *

Clyde pulled up in his dad's car, feeling like a rock star. Feeling like a rock star, despite the fact that his dad was next to him in the passenger seat, making sure he didn't kill anyone on the drive to Bebe's house. He properly put the car in park before turning off the ignition.

"Very good," said his dad.

"I'm a natural at driving. Maybe once I get my own car, I'll try drag racing!" Clyde said, enthusiasm in his voice.

"Yeah, no. You're never getting your own car now."

"Aww man! I was just joking!" Clyde pulled the keys out and handed them to his father. "BRB, dad, I'm gonna go knock on the door instead of honking the horn. Like a gentleman!"

Clyde practically leapt out of the car, almost forgetting to unbuckle himself from the seat. He ran up to the Stevens' front door and knocked. He bounced on the balls of his feet while he waited for an answer. After a few moments, Mrs. Stevens finally opened the door.

"Oh hello, Clyde! Don't you look handsome tonight?"

"Yes, ma'am. Is Bebe ready for our date tonight?" he asked, pouring on the old-school manners.

"Hmm, it seems that she's taking a little longer than usual. She must be very excited and wanting to look her best for you!"

Clyde beamed.

"Why don't you go check on her? She should be upstairs in her room," said Mrs. Stevens.

She waved out the open door to Mr. Donovan waiting in the car as Clyde raced upstairs.

Clyde knocked on Bebe's door, then slowly opened it when he didn't get an answer.

"Hey girl, you're thicker than a vanilla shake, and I'm coming in to take a big sip!" Clyde hoped that he wouldn't spook Bebe if he loudly announced his presence with his usual trademark swag.

Once he had the door all the way open, he found Bebe sitting at her make-up table, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh my god, babe! What happened?!"

He ran over and knelt down beside her. Her face was barely done. It looked like she had started, but something had caused her to suddenly stop. He placed a hand on her back and gently rubbed her bare skin.

"Bebe. Bebe, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" he asked.

Bebe looked at herself in the mirror, a sobbing mess. The foundation and powder she had managed to put on was ruined by the streaks of tears down her cheeks, and the smudges when she had tried to wipe them away. She then looked at Clyde in the mirror. He could see what she looked like. He could see how much of a fucking hot mess she was, not just in terms of her make-up, but as a person in general.

Yet he didn't look disgusted. He looked genuinely concerned.

Bebe shook her head. "Clyde, look at me." She turned to face him next to her, sniffling. "Really look at me, Clyde."

Clyde was confused, but when he stared into her eyes, he knew she was serious. He slowly let his eyes move over her body. It was the first time he had seen her half naked. He'd fantasized about seeing her in her bra and panties, but this wasn't playing out like the fantasy. Nevertheless, his heart was racing. Her skin was smooth and soft. The curve of her hips and ass were perfect. Her boobs looked fucking amazing in her lacy bra. He looked back at her face. Even with the puffy eyes and smudged make-up, she was beautiful.

"This is me. This is the me that no one was supposed to ever see."

Clyde smiled. Bebe furrowed her brow at him. She used the heels of her hands to wipe away the most recent tears from eyes.

"How? How can you want this? All of this...?" Bebe paused, then made a disgusted sound.

"It's easy," Clyde said with a smile. "I love you because you're smart, talented, loud, amazing, and confident."

Bebe scoffed and looked away. "Right. Confident."

Clyde pushed away a piece of her hair from her eyes with his thumb, letting his hand linger gently on her face. "Even the most confident people have off days. I do all the time. But you get back up when you fall. Not everyone can do that."

Bebe looked back at him to find him staring deep into her brown eyes. "And I know it might not mean that much, but to me, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Bebe held her breath. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. What was this feeling? It was foreign. Not quite painful, not quite pleasant. In that moment, Bebe finally realized what she had been looking for in a partner all along. She wanted someone who could see her—the real her—and not run away. She wanted someone who would love her for her, and love her despite all of her flaws. She wanted someone like Clyde.

Bebe took in a deep breath, and when she exhaled, she was in love.


End file.
